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Towards a political framework for the successful implementation of project management

Study project (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizational politics and the political environment of organizations are topics that
have been extensively researched and debated in the academic literature.
Organizations are not always strategically focused on this area of management and
are not always aware of the consequences of the negative impacts of organizational
politics on the success of their business. Project management also takes place
within this political environment of organizations and is thus subject to its influences.
The aim of this study was to provide project managers with some insight into the nature
of organizational politics and political behavior and to assist them in understanding how
these concepts impact on the project management process. The study takes the form
of a literature review on the topics of organizational politics and project management.
The study can be divided into five main sections:
• Organizational politics is reviewed in terms of the definition of political behavior,
dimensions of political behavior and the political environment of organizations.
Examples of political behavior are given and the functional roles of politics in
organizations are discussed.
• The second section deals with the social perspective of project management in
terms of the inherent nature of teams, operation within a matrix structure and
leadership requirements of the project manager. Project management skills and
success criteria are also studied. The third section views project management in terms of organizational politics
and readdresses the areas of management of the project manager and the
importance of stakeholder analysis. The power base of the project manager is
evaluated and the use of influence discussed. The political activities that occur
around resource control and decision-making is considered with reference to
organizational culture. Guidelines are laid down for project managers regarding
the management of political behavior.
• The fourth section moves towards putting a framework there for project
managers with reference to implications for project management success, the
use of constructive political tactics and the adoption of appropriate political skills.
• The fifth section tests assumptions made regarding possible problems areas for
project managers in the context of organizational politics. Personal interviews
were conducted with eight project managers in a development and management
company and questions were designed around two themes, namely problems
experienced on a more personal level and problems relating to the
organizational environment. The current and ideal situations for each theme
were discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasie politiek en die politiese omgewing van organisasies is onderwerpe wat
uitgebreid nagevors en gedebateer is in die akademiese literatuur. Organisasies is
nie altyd strategies gefokus op hierdie bestuursarea nie en is derhalwe nie altyd
bewus van die negatiewe effek van organisasie politiek op die sukses van hul
besigheid nie. Projekbestuur vind plaas binne hierdie politiese omgewing en is dus
onderworpe aan die invloed daarvan.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om aan projekbestuurders 'n mate van insig te
verskaf met betrekking tot die aard van organisasie politiek en politiese gedrag, en
om 'n beter begrip van die impak van hierdie konsepte op die projekbestuur proses te
kweek. Die navorsing is in die vorm van 'n literatuurstudie rondom organisasie
politiek en projekbestuur.
Die studie word onderverdeel in vyf afdelings:
• Eerstens word 'n oorsig van organisasie politiek verskaf, met spesifieke
verwysing na die definisie van politiese gedrag, die dimensies van politiese
gedrag en die politiese omgewing van organisasies. Voorbeelde van politiese
gedrag word aangebied en die funksionele rol van politiek in organisasies
word bespreek.
• Die tweede afdeling handeloor die sosiale perspektief van projekbestuur in
terme van die inherente aard van projekspanne, die werking van projekbestuur binne 'n matriks struktuur, en die leierskap vereistes van die projekbestuurder.
Projekbestuur vaardighede en sukses maatstawwe word bestudeer.
• Die derde afdeling fokus op projekbestuur binne die konteks van organisasie
politiek: die bestuursareas van die projekbestuurder word weer beskou en die
belangrikheid van insethouer-analise (stakeholders) word aangedui. Verder
word die magsbasis van die projekbestuurder ge-evalueer en die aanwending
van die proses van invloed word bespreek. Die politiese aktiwiteite wat
gepaard gaan met hulpbron-beheer asook besluitneming word ondersoek, met
verwysing na organisasie kultuur. Etlike riglyne met betrekking tot die bestuur
van politiese gedrag word neergelê vir projekbestuurders.
• Die vierde afdeling fokus op die daarstelling van 'n raamwerk vir
projekbestuurders, wat onder andere verwys na implikasies vir projekbestuur
sukses, die gebruik van konstruktiewe politiese tegnieke asook die
aanwending van aanvaarbare politiese vaardighede.
• Die vyfde afdeling behels die toetsing van etlike aannames wat gemaak word
aangaande probleemareas vir projekbestuurders binne die konteks van
organisasie politiek. Persoonlike onderhoude is gevoer met agt
projekbestuurders, werksaam by 'n ontwikkelings- en bestuursmaatskappy.
Die onderhoudsvrae was saamgestel rondom twee temas, naamlik: probleme
wat ondervind word op 'n meer persoonlike vlak; en probleme wat verband jou
met die organisasie omgewing. Die huidige asook die ideale situasie vir elke
tema was ondersoek en weergegee.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53700
Date12 1900
CreatorsOosthuizen, Yolande(Yolande Helene)
ContributorsMorrison, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format119 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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